Your dog may appear to be a pleasant friendly dog and still bite a person or fight with another dog or attack the neighbors’ cat. Dogs cannot simply be labeled mean or not mean as most people want to believe. I assure you that it is not only commonly known aggressive breeds such as Pit Bulls or Rottweilers that bite. There is no breed exempt from having some form of aggression. Many well-behaved family pets have had a growling, snapping or biting incident. The challenging problem is to determine what caused it and how to prevent it from happening again.

People need to first determine which breed is most suitable for their living conditions: I recommend the book “Choosing a Dog” which was written from a trainers perspective, not with the bias of a breeder. We also offer ourselves at A Canine Experience Inc. as a resource for this purpose. Once you know what your looking for, finding a quality breeder can be difficult to determine. Flashy websites may be appealing, but what is happening behind the scene is harder to recognize, so here are some tips:

• Quality breeders qualify buyers- they do not sell puppies to pet stores! Breeders know the only qualification necessary to purchase a puppy from a pet store is the almighty dollar.
• Quality breeders like to track the progress of the puppies they sell, not only their behavior but their health and structure.
• Quality breeders intentions are to improve the breed to create the most healthy, sound and well tempered dog they can produce.
• Quality breeders will have a contract and most often will want you to notify them first if you need to re-home your puppy for any reason or if they are having health or behavior problems.
• Quality breeders care about their reputation as a breeder and do their best help the new owners with their new purchase.
• Quality breeders will do puppy temperament testing and attempt to place you with the best match for your environment.
• Quality breeders will educate you on what to expect out of the breed and their specific bloodlines.
• Quality breeders will find out about your home life so they can match you with the best puppy for you.
• Quality breeders don’t ship puppies to people they don’t know unless they are working through some one they do know and trust.
• When choosing a puppy, you should be able to meet one or both parents, if not, be leery.
• Evaluate the temperament of the parents- if they show signs of aggression, these traits can be inherent and are likely to show up in some of the puppies.
• Quality breeders will have health records- ask for testing done on the eyes and hips of the parents and other health records.
• Quality breeder will not place puppies into their new homes until 7-9 weeks of age, 8-9 being better. Placing them at a younger age can cause social developmental problems.
• Ask about how the puppies are raised- how often they are handled, have they started taking them outside to potty, are they living in the house, a kennel, a cage, have they done temperament testing, are they living in a clean environment or being forced to live in their own filth, do they get individual time, have they been around people other than the breeder, have they been around children? Training can begin at a very young age.
• Find out how many dogs they are breeding and how often. Do they have multiple litters to choose from? Do they have multiple breeds available? Most quality breeders specialize in one or two breeds and only breed once or twice a year. They don’t breed their bitches more than once per year and take them in for regular checkups.
• Quality breeders rarely make money because it goes back into the care of their dogs.
• I would never recommend purchasing a puppy from a pet store!

LEADERS: 

 Eat First
Initiate and Control Interactions
Maintain a Dominant Posture
Go First/ Lead
Control Their Space and Possessions
Protect Their Pack
Are Calm, Fair and Confident
Sleep in a Higher Place
Don’t Chase
Discipline Their Pack Fairly
Use Their Mouth and Feet to Control Subordinates

One great way to let your dog know you are taking control and being the leader is by teaching them to wait at the door.  See “Teaching Your Dog to Wait at the Door” for suggestions on how and why to teach the wait.

Many behavior problem stem from the lack of 

physical and mental exercise!

Dogs are working animals. They need a job to do and will be much better behaved if they have something to make them feel like they are earning their keep.

Every breed has its own skills. Make the best of the genetic drive that your dog is born with.

• Mental exercise is just as important as physical exercise.

• Dogs should have a good run as least once a day to maintain good physical and mental health.

• A mile walk is good, but usually not nearly enough.

• Destructive and bratty behavior often occurs because of pent up energy.

• Many people believe that if their dog has a big back yard it will get enough exercise. This is not usually the case.

• Your dog will tire faster with mental stimulation than with physical exercise.

• All dogs can learn.

Start with some of these ideas today:

• Obedience commands

• Search games

• Scent work

• Tricks

• Herding

• Weight pulling

• Use a backpack to carry things

• Agility

• Flyball

• Retrieving

A Canine Experience Inc.

17125 SR9 SE

Snohomish, WA 98296

www.acanine.com
360-668-0350

It’s an issue of respect.  Pushing by you and charging out the door is disrespectful to you as the leader. When charging out the door, they are reacting, not thinking.  Making them wait will help you gain control and engage their brain. There is also the issue of safety.  Many dogs have been hit by cars after bolting out the door into a road.  It is your job as the leader to protect your dog.

How to teach the wait at the door:

1. Clip Bobo’s 6-foot lead onto his regular collar. Bring him to the closed front door and have him sit for you in a position that will not block the opening of the door. If he sits, give him a treat and praise him. Then tell him to wait.

2. Next, open the front door a few inches while praising Bobo for a ‘good wait’. If he tries to squeeze through, tell him no and close the door and walk him away. Then bring him back to the door and repeat the process. Your goal at this point is to be able to open the door a few inches without Bobo trying to squeeze through. Be patient; you may have to repeat this step five or six times before he gets it.

3. Once you can open the door a few inches without Bobo charging through, you can begin opening it more or more each time. Every moment that Bobo does not try to get out the door is a victory for you. Just make sure to praise him for a good wait while he is doing so. Your goal is to be able to have the front door completely open without Bobo trying to sneak out. If he tries to, tell him no, then quickly close the door, walk him away, and begin the process again. Get him to understand that every time he tries to go out on his own he gets the door shut; each time he waits, he gets praised.

4. Once you are able to get Bobo to wait at a wide-open door, it is time to step through yourself. If at any time he tries to go along with you, tell him “no,wait”. Have him continue to wait for 10 seconds. If Bobo succeeds in charging by you, say “no”, then take him back inside and repeat the step. Once you have successfully taught him to wait while you are outside, tell Bobo ‘okay’ and call him through the door. Once outside, have him sit, and reward him with a treat. Then, have him perform the wait , going back into the home. If at any time he tries to bolt in, tell him “no”, shut the door, and walk him away. Your goal is to get Bobo to wait at the door, going in or out, until you give the “okay” command. Practice this each time you take Bobo out.

5. Work the wait command at every entrance and exit to the home or car. After 6 to 8 weeks, you will find that the leash may no longer be necessary. The wait will eventually become automatic to Bobo. You needn’t practice only at doorways, try teaching Bobo to wait at a curbside.
(The above steps 1-5 are quoted from the “Leader of the Pack” book written by Nancy Baer and Steve Duno)

Scent Pans: You can teach scent work to dogs to find items like their toys. You can also teach scent work for something very practical, such as finding your keys or a lost phone. A typical scent pan has a small hole in the top, we made some of ours out of plastic dog dishes and drilled holes in the bottom – flip it upside down and it’s ready to go!

When training, make sure to do each step fully and not progress to the next until your dog has mastered it. You always want to end successful. Always reward your dog. If your dog has a favorite toy, you can use that as a reward instead of treats.

1. Start with three pans and show the dog that you are putting the treat in the pan. Try to get your dog to follow your hand with the treat to the bowl. Encourage them to smell the hole in the pan you’ve placed the treat under. Once your dog stiffs the pan with the treat, quickly lift the pan up and let them have the treat. If your dog is struggling with this, you can put the treat in the bowl right side up to begin. Get your dog to realize there are treats in the bowl, have them take it out. Then try flipping the bowl over again and putting the treat in it. Use a verbal command such as “find it” to let your dog know we are starting the game. When your dog is finding the treat without your help move on to the next step.

2. Once your dog has the idea to sniff the hole in the pan you’ve put the treat into, fake which pan your putting the treat into. I use the term “find it” to start the game and use the command “check here” to have them check a bowl. Have them sniff each pan until they find the one with the treat. Quickly remove the pan and let them have the treat. Once you’ve mastered this step move on to the next step.

3. Don’t let the dog see you put treat in pan. It’s best if you have someone who can help you by walking your dog away while you hide the treat and then bring them back to you when your done. After your dog is able to start identifying which pan has the treat, try to get your dog to signal that they have found the treat by either pawing the pan, sitting beside the pan or lying down. You can give them a command to what you want. For example, If you want your dog to indicate they found the item by lying down, when they show interest in the correct pan, tell them “down” and when they down lift the pan and let them take the treat. From now on, they have to do the designated indicator to earn the reward. Choose only one indicator and stick with it. Once they get the idea to search all three pans you can move to the next step.

4. If they can search three pans, they can search multiple pans. Start adding more pans to the game. Make a long line of pans spread out and have them search the line. Continue having them use their indicator before giving them their reward.

5. Add the item you want them to find under the pan with the treat. If you want to teach them to find your keys, put the keys and the treat under the pan and continue practicing. Do this a few times, it won’t make much difference to your dog, because the treat is still there.

6. Remove the treat and hide only the item you want to teach your dog to find under a pan. They may need a little help at this point, because up to now they’ve had the food smell to motivate them. You may have to tap the pan, get them to smell it, ask them to indicate and then give them their reward to help them understand the change in the game. Sometimes I will rub the treat smell on the item just for the first session to help give them the idea to search for the item. Don’t continue doing this or they won’t figure out what you really want them to find. When they find the item pickup the pan to show them they found it and reward them with a treat from your hand. Once they understand to find the item to get there reward move on.

7. Start making the game more difficult by adding pans, moving them into a circle instead of a line, start pushing them further apart and putting them in areas like the corner, under a chair, behind a piece of furniture etc.

8. Start placing the pans on a variety of surfaces; on the chair, in an open cupboard, on a shelf, on a short table. We are teaching them to search above the level of the floor. Once they are finding the item consistently at multiple levels and indicating move to the next step.

9. Take the pans away and hide the item with a treat in a fairly simple place. This is a confusing step for your dog, because the pans, which have been a visible aid that you’re working, are gone. They again may need a little assistance. Use your command “find it” to let them know your working and the command “check here” to get them looking in different places. Only use the treat with the item a few times to get them to understand the change in the game.

10. Hide only the item in a fairly simple place, reward them with the treat.

11. Slowly increase difficulty of the hiding spot using the item only and rewarding them with the treat.

12. Have someone else hide the item with out you knowing where it is. This is the true challenge to determine if your dog really understands the game.

A few notes about search games:

Your dog always gets rewarded for its work!

The search should always be successful, meaning there is always something to find and it gets found, even if you have to give a little extra help (if this happens continuously back up a step or two). So, if you loose your keys and decide your going to use your dog to find them, make sure you have a spare set you can plant in case they can’t find the keys your looking for. Nothing is more discouraging than not successfully completing the job and they will loose faith that there is something to be found.

Your dog always get rewarded for their work!

Be careful not to tell your dog where items are with your body language. In a couple steps I have you helping them, but once they get it watch your body language. Let your dog stop you, don’t look at the item, don’t change your pace as you approach the item. You must act the same during the exercise. If you want them to look in a certain area tell them to “check here” but stand back and let them look. Make sure to have them check places that the item is not hidden in too, so the command doesn’t become a give away.

Your dog always gets rewarded for its work!

If your dog is toy motivated and you would like to use a toy as a reward, replace the treats with the toy. When the item is found play with your dog with the toy as the reward. This will only work with very toy driven dogs. Common toys used are balls, ropes and squeaky toys.

Good luck! Feel free to call Trina or Nancy if you have questions about teaching your dog to search.

A Canine Experience Inc. (360)668-0350

Could Have Seen It Coming Had I Known That

As a professional dog trainer at A Canine Experience Inc.,  we help
people solve all types of dog behavior problems.  Often times our
customers feel that a new behavior has appeared from no where and is
a complete surprise to the owner.  After a thorough evaluation, we
find that there have generally been warning signs leading up to the
“new unwanted behavior.”    Below are some of the most
common warning signs you should be aware of.

I will frequently refer to leadership.  It is important that you are
the leader of your dog pack and understand the importance and
obligations of this job.  Dogs need leadership to feel confident and
secure.  The leaders job is to protect and discipline the pack and
they are counting on you to do this for them.  If you don’t take the
leadership role, they will, which means they feel it is their
obligation to protect and to discipline.  Without proper guidance of
a leader, all types of behavior problems can arise. The following
behaviors are warning signs that should be taken seriously before a
major incident occurs.

When a dog puts its mouth on you in any way they are being
disrespectful to you as a leader.    This includes mouthing your
hands, your clothing or even grabbing the leash. Even if the dog
puts his/her mouth on you “in play,” it is a sign of
disrespect.  “Play” mouthing is testing.  Dogs, like
children, will naturally test their boundaries.  If they are putting
their mouth on you in any way and you are not stopping it, they
are not going to see you as a leader.  Leaders do not allow
subordinate dogs to put their mouth on them, so neither should we.

Growling, snapping or baring teeth toward people are serious warning signs
that should be dealt with by a professional trainer immediately.
These warnings WILL turn to biting if the behavior is not corrected.

Biting is an obvious warning sign, but often times owners are
embarrassed or concerned with what will happen to their dog if they
seek help.  Professional dog trainers can often times correct
biting behaviors if dealt with immediately, but the longer the
behavior exists the lower the rate of success.  It is best to get
help when your dog exhibits the above warning signs of growling,
snapping or baring teeth, but if you have waited too long and
your dog bites some one get help NOW!   We have seen many
cases of friendly dogs who have bitten for a variety of reasons.
There is no need to get embarrassed, just get help.  If you would
like more information on this topic, Nancy Baer from A Canine
Experience Inc., wrote a book “When Friendly Dogs Bite.”
Her book speaks of common biting occurrences, why they happen and how
to correct it.  References to actual cases that we have experienced
are included.

Dogs who become possessive over people or items can be a serious
threat.  We see possessive behavior over their toys, food, owner,
sleeping space or things they have stolen. In the dog world, the
leader gets what they want and the best of everything.  If your dog
is acting possessive over you, they are not protecting you, they are
owning you.  Possessive behavior can be very sporadic, which can
makes it hard to predict.  Signs of a dog being  possessive can come
in many forms: baring teeth, growling, snapping, lunging or biting
when you get near their sleeping space, owner or item of choice.
Possessive aggression is very difficult to correct and takes the help
of a professional trainer.

Stealing items and running away with stolen item can lead to coming
problems and to possessive aggression.  We have come across many
situations where someone got bit over a stolen tissue or some other
silly item.  This is very serious and you should seek professional
help immediately.

A less obvious warning sign is bursting through doors.  Many
owners find this behavior annoying, but don’t realize the
implications of this act.  In the dog world, leaders go first.  The
leader will be the first to go through small openings, lead the pack
where they want to go, decide when they want to go and determine the
pace in which they move at.  If you have multiple dogs, you may have
experience chaos at the door as they charge out it.  Generally the
leader of your pack will be the first one out the door and the last
to come back in.  This makes sense because the leaders job is to
protect the pack.  They go out
first to be sure it is safe and come in last to be sure
everyone got in safely.  When your dog bolts out your door
they are not being respectful to you.

Some dogs like to run off, explore the neighborhood and come back
when they feel like it.  They ignore your frantic calls for them to
come back.  Not coming when called is mostly a training issue,
but is also blatant disrespect to you and your leadership.  Like
bolting through doors, running away and not coming when called can
be very dangerous for your dog.  We have heard many stories of dogs
getting hit by a car as a result of these behaviors.  Properly
training the come command to become a conditioned response and other
obedience can help with this problem.  As with any behavior problem,
the sooner you start the better.  Once a behavior becomes a habit,
they are much more difficult to correct.  Take your time teaching the
come, there are no short cuts to conditioning them to come.

Dogs chasing kids, bikes, joggers etc. can quickly become a serious
problem.  This behavior is brought on by their natural prey drive.
In this state of mind, their instincts are telling them to grab a
hold, resulting in a bite.  Chasing can also be territorial – they
chase the jogger down the fence line and the jogger goes away.  They
don’t know the jogger was leaving any way, in their mind the tactic
worked, so the behavior is learned.  This may seem like a harmless
game until they get loose and grab  a hold of the intrusive jogger.
Dogs need to be taught how to control these instinctual urges and be
kept in an area that does not encourage these behaviors.

Showing overall lack of respect to owners should not be taken lightly.
Dogs should respect their owners as they would a pack leader, which
means the owner needs to act as a leader.

Dogs who are out of control on a walk can be the result of a
variety of behavior issues.  The bottom line is LEADERS LEAD!  Who’s
the leader on your walk?  Out of control barking and lunging on a
walk can be the result of aggression or possessiveness over the
owner, but most commonly it’s a lack of trust in their owner to act
as a proper leader.  If your dog can’t count on you to be the leader,
they will take it upon themselves to do so.

Jumping on you or other people is another blatantly disrespectful
behavior.  A pack leader would seriously discipline a subordinate
pack mate for this action unless the leader was in the mood to play
and perceived the action as play.  Leaders do not allow pack members
to jump on them, put a foot on them or even place their head over
them in a dominant way.  Your dog should never be allowed to jump on
you or other people, even when they are eight weeks old and your just
bringing home that adorable puppy you can’t say “No” to.
If you allow them to jump on you or the freedom to climb all over
you, you are setting a precedence for your future relationship.

Any disrespectful or aggressive behavior needs to be looked at as
a warning sign.  If your dog is showing any of these warning signs,
you should get a behavioral evaluation with a professional dog
trainer who has experience with the behavior you are experiencing.  A
trainer can help you understand the severity of the problem and guide
you on how to resolve the issue.  You must understand these are basic
warning signs and you must look at the overall picture not just one
point.  However, if behavior problems are ignored, they can turn into
a horrible nightmare.

Written by Trina Eddy       A Canine Experience Inc.       360-668-0350

We offer free behavioral evaluations.  Please call if we can answer any
questions for you.

Could Have
Seen It Coming Had I Known That

As
a professional dog trainer at A Canine Experience Inc.,  we help
people solve all types of dog behavior problems.  Often times our
customers feel that a new behavior has appeared from no where and is
a complete surprise to the owner.  After a thorough evaluation, we
find that there have generally been warning signs leading up to the
“new unwanted behavior.”    Below are some of the most
common warning signs you should be aware of.

I
will frequently refer to leadership.  It is important that you are
the leader of your dog pack and understand the importance and
obligations of this job.  Dogs need leadership to feel confident and
secure.  The leaders job is to protect and discipline the pack and
they are counting on you to do this for them.  If you don’t take the
leadership role, they will, which means they feel it is their
obligation to protect and to discipline.  Without proper guidance of
a leader, all types of behavior problems can arise. The following
behaviors are warning signs that should be taken seriously before a
major incident occurs.

When
a dog puts its mouth on you in any way they are being
disrespectful to you as a leader.    This includes mouthing your
hands, your clothing or even grabbing the leash. Even if the dog
puts his/her mouth on you “in play,” it is a sign of
disrespect.  “Play” mouthing is testing.  Dogs, like
children, will naturally test their boundaries.  If they are putting
their mouth on you in any way and you are not stopping it, they
are not going to see you as a leader.  Leaders do not allow
subordinate dogs to put their mouth on them, so neither should we.

Growling,
snapping or baring teeth toward people are serious warning signs
that should be dealt with by a professional trainer immediately.
These warnings WILL turn to biting if the behavior is not corrected.

Biting
is an obvious warning sign, but often times owners are
embarrassed or concerned with what will happen to their dog if they
seek help.  Professional dog trainers can often times correct
biting behaviors if dealt with immediately, but the longer the
behavior exists the lower the rate of success.  It is best to get
help when your dog exhibits the above warning signs of growling,
snapping or baring teeth, but if you have waited too long and
your dog bites some one get help NOW!   We have seen many
cases of friendly dogs who have bitten for a variety of reasons.
There is no need to get embarrassed, just get help.  If you would
like more information on this topic, Nancy Baer from A Canine
Experience Inc., wrote a book “When Friendly Dogs Bite.”
Her book speaks of common biting occurrences, why they happen and how
to correct it.  References to actual cases that we have experienced
are included.

Dogs
who become possessive over people or items can be a serious
threat.  We see possessive behavior over their toys, food, owner,
sleeping space or things they have stolen. In the dog world, the
leader gets what they want and the best of everything.  If your dog
is acting possessive over you, they are not protecting you, they are
owning you.  Possessive behavior can be very sporadic, which can
makes it hard to predict.  Signs of a dog being  possessive can come
in many forms: baring teeth, growling, snapping, lunging or biting
when you get near their sleeping space, owner or item of choice.
Possessive aggression is very difficult to correct and takes the help
of a professional trainer.

Stealing
items and running away with stolen item can lead to coming
problems and to possessive aggression.  We have come across many
situations where someone got bit over a stolen tissue or some other
silly item.  This is very serious and you should seek professional
help immediately.

A
less obvious warning sign is bursting through doors.  Many
owners find this behavior annoying, but don’t realize the
implications of this act.  In the dog world, leaders go first.  The
leader will be the first to go through small openings, lead the pack
where they want to go, decide when they want to go and determine the
pace in which they move at.  If you have multiple dogs, you may have
experience chaos at the door as they charge out it.  Generally the
leader of your pack will be the first one out the door and the last
to come back in.  This makes sense because the leaders job is to
protect the pack.  They go out
first to be sure it is safe and come in last to be sure
everyone got in safely.  When your dog bolts out your door
they are not being respectful to you.

Some
dogs like to run off, explore the neighborhood and come back
when they feel like it.  They ignore your frantic calls for them to
come back.  Not coming when called is mostly a training issue,
but is also blatant disrespect to you and your leadership.  Like
bolting through doors, running away and not coming when called can
be very dangerous for your dog.  We have heard many stories of dogs
getting hit by a car as a result of these behaviors.  Properly
training the come command to become a conditioned response and other
obedience can help with this problem.  As with any behavior problem,
the sooner you start the better.  Once a behavior becomes a habit,
they are much more difficult to correct.  Take your time teaching the
come, there are no short cuts to conditioning them to come.

Dogs
chasing kids, bikes, joggers etc. can quickly become a serious
problem.  This behavior is brought on by their natural prey drive.
In this state of mind, their instincts are telling them to grab a
hold, resulting in a bite.  Chasing can also be territorial – they
chase the jogger down the fence line and the jogger goes away.  They
don’t know the jogger was leaving any way, in their mind the tactic
worked, so the behavior is learned.  This may seem like a harmless
game until they get loose and grab  a hold of the intrusive jogger.
Dogs need to be taught how to control these instinctual urges and be
kept in an area that does not encourage these behaviors.

Showing
overall lack of respect to owners should not be taken lightly.
Dogs should respect their owners as they would a pack leader, which
means the owner needs to act as a leader.

Dogs
who are out of control on a walk can be the result of a
variety of behavior issues.  The bottom line is LEADERS LEAD!  Who’s
the leader on your walk?  Out of control barking and lunging on a
walk can be the result of aggression or possessiveness over the
owner, but most commonly it’s a lack of trust in their owner to act
as a proper leader.  If your dog can’t count on you to be the leader,
they will take it upon themselves to do so.

Jumping
on you or other people is another blatantly disrespectful
behavior.  A pack leader would seriously discipline a subordinate
pack mate for this action unless the leader was in the mood to play
and perceived the action as play.  Leaders do not allow pack members
to jump on them, put a foot on them or even place their head over
them in a dominant way.  Your dog should never be allowed to jump on
you or other people, even when they are eight weeks old and your just
bringing home that adorable puppy you can’t say “No” to.
If you allow them to jump on you or the freedom to climb all over
you, you are setting a precedence for your future relationship.

Any
disrespectful or aggressive behavior needs to be looked at as
a warning sign.  If your dog is showing any of these warning signs,
you should get a behavioral evaluation with a professional dog
trainer who has experience with the behavior you are experiencing.  A
trainer can help you understand the severity of the problem and guide
you on how to resolve the issue.  You must understand these are basic
warning signs and you must look at the overall picture not just one
point.  However, if behavior problems are ignored, they can turn into
a horrible nightmare.

Written
by Trina Eddy       A Canine Experience Inc.
360-668-0350

We
offer free behavioral evaluations.  Please call if we can answer any
questions for you.